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Darwin and Natural Selection
 

"In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment."
--Charles Darwin

 Scenario

 

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland, is soliciting help from your school's science department to attract the interest of high schoolers like yourself to their special exhibit "Diversity of Species," highlighting Darwin's scientific discoveries in the Galapagos Islands and the resulting theory of evolution.

Evolution, the change of species over time, is the central unifying theme of biology. Biological evolution occurs through natural selection. Natural selection is the result of overproduction of offspring having variations, these variations struggling for survival, and the subsequent survival and increased reproduction of those best adapted to a particular environment. 

For a basic introduction to Charles Darwin and his theory, view this BrainPop video.

How has Darwin's research been used to provide evidence of natural selection?

Task and Product

 Working on your own or with a partner, you will use Charles Darwin's research findings to learn about the evolution of the four different species listed below. You will identify how each species' environment determined its evolutionary adaptations.
  • Darwin's Finches
  • Galapagos Tortoises
  • Galapagos Hawk
  • Marine Iguana
Your research findings will be presented in an informational brochure that will educate and pique the interest of other high school students as well as the general public regarding Darwin's theory of natural selection. Use this brochure template as a guide to create your final product; feel free to be creative in adapting it to answer research questions such as the ones below in the "Questions" section.

Assessments

Your grade for this project may be based on any or all of these components. The accompanying scoring tools may be used or may be adapted by your teacher.

  • Group Work html | MS Word
  • Daily Research (Formative) html
  • Research Process (Summative)--Student/Self html
  • Research Process (Summative)--Teacher html
  • Pamphlet or Brochure html | MS Word

Questions

Essential Question: How has Darwin's research been used to provide evidence of natural selection?

Subsidiary questions--In conducting your research, answer these questions about Charles Darwin and his Theory of Natural Selection:

  • General questions about Charles Darwin and his work:
    1. Who was Charles Darwin?
    2. When and where did Darwin perform his research?
    3. What were the accomplishments of Charles Darwin?
    4. What conclusions did Darwin derive from all of his research?
    5. Why are the ideas of Darwin so controversial?
  • Specific questions about Charles Darwin's research:
    1. Explain how traits (ie. hair color, eye color, etc) can be passed down from parent to offspring.
    2. In the Galapagos Islands, what are some of the limiting factors to life on the islands (as Darwin discovered)?
    3. What were the specific animal species of special interest to Darwin?
    4. What characteristics do these animals have which lend evidence to Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection.

Gather and Sort

Gather information from a variety of sources.

Sort your research findings using these graphic organizers.

Be sure to avoid plagiarism by properly paraphrasing and quoting in your writing. The following links will provide you with some extra practice in avoiding plagiarism:

Organize

Analyze your research notes to determine if you have adequate information to prepare your brochure for the National Aquarium.

  • Have you gathered sufficient details about Charles Darwin, his findings in the Galapagos Islands, and his Theory of Natural Selection?
  • Are your details organized in the right categories (sub-questions) to make sense for your audience?
  • Are you ready to create your brochure?

Synthesize your findings by creating a first draft of your product.

  • What new insights have emerged about your topic?
  • Which facts are the most compelling and would have the greatest impact on your audience?
  • Which facts are unnecessary and/or repetitive and therefore should be left out?

Evaluate your finished product. Use the Pamphlet/Brochure scoring tool as a checklist to make sure that your product is of good quality and ready to present to the National Aquarium.

Final Product Assessment: Pamphlet or Brochure html | MS Word

Conclusion

Presentation

In addition to submitting your brochure to your teacher, you or you and your partner will select one of Darwin's animals and explain to your class its specific adapation and the environmental factor(s) that caused it.

Reflection

After the completion of class presentations, respond to the following writing prompt:

Why were (and are) the Galapagos Islands a good place to witness natural selection?

Your reflection will be evaluted using this scoring tool: Brief Constructed Response html | MS Word